William miller



(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 1.

W. MILLER. CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

Patentd June 1,1897.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No ModeL) Y W. MILLER. CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

No. 583,538. Patented June 1,1897.

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UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MILLER, OF WVABASH, INDIANA, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES HIATT, OF SAME PLACE.

C ONVERT|BLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,538, dated June 1, 1897. Application filed June 18, 1896. Serial No. 596,100. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVabash, in the county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Convertible Chair, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chairs; and the object in view is to provide an adjustable chair which is readily convertible into a stationary or rocking chair, into a lounge or operating-chair, or into'a cradle, the several parts of the chair being adjusted and held by suitable operating mechanism.

The chair is comfortable under any of its adjustments and is well adapted to any of the several uses for which it is intended.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description.

The invention consists in a convertible chair embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and embodied in the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the foot-rest folded outward from the chair. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the chair, showing the adjusting mechanism, the foot-rest being folded inward against the chair. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the chair adjusted to form a lounge or operating-chair, also showing the foot-rest folded in dotted lines to adapt the device for use as a cradle. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the crank-shaft and the adjacent portions of the chair and operating mechanism.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the chair-frame, comprising the legs or uprights 2, connected by suitable rounds and having the rockers 3. The legs or uprights 2 are extended above the seat 4 to form supports for the chair-arms 5.

6 indicates a chair-back the side bars 7 of which are extended outside of the rear legs of the front legs or uprights 2, Where they are perforated in transverse alinement to form bearings for a cross rod or bar 10, which is I j ournaled therein. tends at its ends through the arms 9, and has rigidly attached to each end, outside thereof, other arms 11, which thus bear a pivotal relation to the arms 9. The arms 11 constitute forward folding extensions of the arms 9, and are connected at their front ends by a transverse cross rod or bar 12, forming the support and fulcrum for the foot-rest, (indicated at 13.)

The rod or bar 12 passes longitudinally through the foot-rest, at one side of the center thereof, the foot-rest being provided with lateral pins or stops 14, adapted to bear beneath the arms 11 for sustaining the foot-rest at the proper angle, at the same time allowing the foot-rest to be folded inward against the front legs or uprights .in the manner illustrated. The arms 11 are provided at their rear ends with inbent stop-lips 15, which bear under the arms 9 and limit the downwardswinging movement of the arms 11, thus serving to uphold the foot-rest at the proper angle.

16 designates a bail-shaped or three-sided supporting-frame for the chair-back, which has its end portions or terminals arranged upon the inner adjacent surfaces of the side bars 7 of the chair-back and pivotally connected thereto. This supporting-frame engages with its central portion or cross-bar pins or stops 17 on the rear legs or uprights 2, so as to hold the back and foot-rest in the required adjusted position.

The bail-shaped frame 16 is operated by means of a crank-shaft 18, which is j ournaled in bearings 19, attached to the said legs or uprights, the crank-shaft being operatively connected to the frame 16 by means of a link or rod 20 and operated by means of a crank or lever 21 at one end thereof and located at one side of the chair.

This cross rod or bar ex-' The chair is shown as an ordinary rocker in Fig. 1, in which the frame 16 rests upon the upper stops 17. By folding the foot-rest, together with its supporting-arms 11, inward against the chair, as shown in Fi 2, the feet of the person sitting in the chair may touch the floor. By rocking the crank or lever 21 forward the frame 16 is thrown rearward out of engagement with the stops 17, whereupon the chair-back, together with the arms 9 and foot-rest, may be rocked into a more nearly horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, and is secured by again rocking the frame to bring it into engagement with the proper stop. The back may be folded into a perfectly horizontal position, if desired. Under this adjustment the foot-rest may be folded inward against the chair, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereupon the article may be used as a childs cradle, the foot-rest serving to prevent the ehild from falling out of the chair.

The convertible chair hereinabove described will be found very comfortable under any of the adjustments described and well adapted to the several uses enumerated. It is simple and inexpensivein construction, and its operative mechanism is so easily understood that any one may learn in a few moments to easily and quickly adjust the chair to any of its several positions. Casters are arranged beneath the rear ends of the rockers, so that by tilting the chairbackward or pressing downward upon the back of the chair it may be trundled along from place to place. By lowering the foot-rest into contact with the floor and placing the feet thereon the chair may be prevented from rocking and held stationary.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a chair, the combination of a back having pivotal connection with the rear legs or uprights, rigid arms projecting from the side bars of the back, a rod or bar connecting the lower front ends of the rigid arms, a foot rest having pivotal connection with the said rod or bar, a frame having pivotal connection with the chair-back at a point between its ends, a series of stops to be engaged by the pivoted frame for securing the chair-back and footrest in the adjusted position, a crankshaft journaled to the frame of the chair and provided with an operating-lever, and a link connecting the crank portion of the said shaft with the aforesaid pivoted frame, substantially as shown for the purpose described.

2. In a convertible chair, the combination of a back pivoted to the chair-frame, rigid arms secured to the back and extending forwardly and downwardly, means for securing the back in an adjusted position, a rod connecting the lower forward ends of the rigid arms, other arms having pivotal connection with the rigid arms by means of the connecting-rod, and having their inner or rear ends bent inward to form stops which engage with the rigid arms, a foot-rest having pivotal connection with the outer ends of the pivoted arms, and stops on the foot-rest to engage with the said pivoted arms and hold the foot-rest in proper position, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein-described convertible chair, comprising a frame, a back having pivotal connection with the rear uprights or legs of the frame, rigid arms secured to the back an d extending forwardly and downwardly, a bailshaped frame having pivotal connection with the back, a series of stops on the rear legs to engage with the bail to hold the back in an adjusted position, a crank-shaft journaled to the chair-frame and having an operating-lever, and having its crank portion connected with the bail-shaped frame, a rod connecting the lower front ends of the said rigid arms, other arms having pivotal connection with the rigid arms by means of the connecting-rod, and having their rear ends bent inward to form stops, a foot-rest having pivotal connection with the pivoted arms, and stops provided on the foot-rest to hold the latter in proper position, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM MILLER. Vitnesses:

CHARLES IIIATT, \VILLIAM Fonniicnn. 

